1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of producing a three-dimensional photonic crystal and an optical functional device using the three-dimensional photonic crystal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Yablonovitch has suggested in “Physical Review Letters, Vol. 58, pp. 2059, 1987” that characteristics of electromagnetic waves such as transmission and reflection can be controlled by periodically arranging structures each having a size less than or equal to the wavelength. Such a structure is known as a photonic crystal and can control the propagation of light. In particular, a three-dimensional photonic crystal having a three-dimensional fine periodic structure can three-dimensionally control the propagation of light and thus can be applied to various applications such as a mirror with a reflectivity of 100% independent of the angle of incident light.
A woodpile structure is known as a crystal structure of such a three-dimensional photonic crystal. A structure formed by laminating a plurality of layers each having a periodic structure (layer-by-layer (LBL) structure) like the woodpile structure can be produced by semiconductor process technology (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-281473, U.S. Pat. No. 5,998,298, Japanese Patent No. 03721815, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,650,672, and 6,479,371). Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-281473 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,998,298 propose a method of producing a three-dimensional photonic crystal by sequentially laminating a plurality of layers. In addition, Japanese Patent No. 03721815, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,650,672 and 6,479,371 propose a method of producing a three-dimensional photonic crystal by bonding a plurality of layers.